REPORT: Tipperary make it two wins on the trot with victory over Wexford in Thurles

Allianz National Hurling League - Division 1A - Round 2

Tipperary 1-22

Wexford 0-19

Tipperary made it two wins from two after a tame affair that never came close to replicating intensity of any sort in FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

This had all the hallmarks of a game between two teams that were in preparation and heavy training mode during the week leading up to the contest, and so, it looked every bit like a challenge match we would have seen at this time of the year pre the split season.

Alas, it won’t matter too much to Tipperary as they were always in control of the result from early in the second half, with several changes and experimental selections hampering any sort of continuity from the brilliant win in Salthill the week prior.

Tipp always had a cushion of four or five points throughout much of the game, and it wasn’t until Darragh McCarthy banged in his second penalty in a week in the 59th minute that the contest and the result was copper-fastened from a Tipperary perspective.

A game played largely in the middle third of the pitch, Tipperary had the lion’s share of the possession and flow with Willie Connors and Craig Morgan again prominent, hitting four points between them and, had Morgan had his shooting radar on, it would have been more as they dominated Conor Hearne and David Codd throughout.

Played in front of a healthy crowd of 5,125 packed into the old stand in Semple, the game never got going and it took on that tone from early on with the contest taking place around the middle of the field as the inside forward lines were starved of possession.

Darragh McCarthy continued on the frees for the Premier and he had two scored inside five minutes to go with a Craig Morgan point from play as Tipp led 0-3 to 0-2 after eight minutes; Wexford’s scores coming from Conall Flood and Jack Redmond.

Jason Forde came back into the team for this one and had a fine effort on the board after nine minutes but the game was never elevated to a standard to get the crowd in the stadium behind the teams.

Willie Connors was looking prominent again after a fine outing against Galway the week previous and he had two points on the board in the next five minutes, coming either side of a long range Gavin O’Halloran strike.

Wexford were offering little in the way of attacking threat but were keeping the scoreboard moving, mostly through Darren Codd (2), and further points from Cian Byrne and another Jack Redmond strike to leave it a one score game at 0-8 to 0-5 in favour of the home team.

Jake Morris had a goal chance in the middle of the half when he burned Eoin Ryan for pace close to goal before cutting in and drop-shooting the ball goalward, but it went straight into the mid-riff of Mark Fanning.

That was as exciting as it got from the first half as Tipperary hit four points to Wexford’s three to finish the half with Darragh McCarthy (3 frees), Jake Morris, and a massive effort from Eoghan Connolly from distance putting the Premier into a 0-12 to 0-8 half-time advantage.

Oisin O’Donoghue was introduced at the break and after Andrew Ormond floated over his first of the day inside 60 seconds of the restart, the young Cashel player fired over his first score at this level to push out the Tipp lead to six.

Wexford were dogged though and didn’t let Tipperary move out of reach in the next ten minutes, hitting the next three points with Cian Byrne (2 frees), and another from Darren Codd reducing the gap back to three points after 44 minutes.

Darragh McCarthy was hitting his frees well but the sight of the Toomevara man hitting his first point from play was welcomed by the Tipp support with a huge roar - the youngster firing over from an acute angle under the shadow of the old stand and when Eoghan Connolly again sauntered up field to land another booming point from range in the 51st minute, Tipp were into a 0-17 to 0-12 lead with the final quarter to come.

The decisive score followed suit quickly after that flurry of Tipp scores when Craig Morgan was dragged down in the square after a long delivery into the full forward position broke to the Kilruane MacDonaghs man. Up stepped Darragh McCarthy again to replicate his goal in Salthill as he buried his shot low to the bottom right-hand corner.

Tipperary now in control, leading 1-17 to 0-12 after 59 minutes.

After that, there was very little to write home about as the sides ran the bench for the final 15 minutes and, from a Tipperary perspective, had decent impacts with John McGrath and Johnny Ryan hitting scores after their introduction and despite Wexford picking off a flurry of late points, Willie Connors notched his third of the with the last puck to give Tipperary a deserved six points win.

Overall, this game will not live long in the memory and supporters who missed out won’t feel too aggrieved when they here about the fare that played out, but it was a win for Tipperary that goes a long way towards confirming their status in this division, even after just two matches.

In terms of talking points, the form of Willie Connors and Craig Morgan looks encouraging for the team as the midfield puzzle might be solved if this form continues for the rest of the league, while Eoghan Connolly impressed hugely at full-back in his defensive play and attacking threat from deep.

Michael Breen was solid alongside the Cashel man in the corner, while Rhys Shelly bounced back well from a horror show in the second half against Galway; his puckouts and use of the ball were excellent apart from one gifted point to Wexford in the second half.

Jake Morris got through a lot of possession while the free-taking of Darragh McCarthy continues to impress, and he will be happy to have gotten off the mark from play in this game too which will give him confidence.

Two points secured, but the round 3 tie against Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds next Sunday will be a completely different prospect but one that Liam Cahill and his charges can prepare for with confidence after a strong start to the campaign.

Scorers: Tipperary: Darragh McCarthy (1-7, 0-6f, 1-0 pen), Willie Connors 0-3, Jake Morris, Eoghan Connolly 0-2 each, Oisin O’Donoghue, Gavin O’Halloran, Johnny Ryan, John McGrath, Andrew Ormond, Michael Breen, Craig Morgan, Jason Forde all 0-1 each.

Wexford: Cian Byrne (0-7, 0-5f), Jack Redmond (0-3, 0-1f), Darren Codd 0-2, Mark Fanning 0-2f, Conor Hearne, Simon Roche, Corey Byrne Dunbar, Richie Lawlor, Conall Flood all 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen; Seamus Kennedy, Brian McGrath, Gavin O’Halloran; Craig Morgan, Willie Connors; Josh Keller, Jake Morris, Alan Tynan; Andrew Ormond, Jason Forde, Darragh McCarthy.

Subs used: Oisin O’Donghue for Keller (HT); John McGrath for Ormond (44); Conor Bowe for Forde (51); Michael Corcoran for Kennedy (58); Johnny Ryan for Tynan (65).

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Eoin Ryan, Simon Donohoe, Niall Murphy; Charlie McGuckin, Conor Foley, Richie Lawlor; Conor Hearne, David Codd; Darren Codd, Jack Redmond, Tomás Kinsella; Cian Byrne, Seamus Casey, Connal Flood.

Subs used: Jack O’Connor for Kinsella (34); Corey Byrne Dunbar for Codd (40); Mikie Dwyer for Flood (50); Simon Roche for Casey (61); Cillian Byrne for C Byrne (64).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)